PM Modi’s app confirms ‘made-in-India’ iPhone

iPhone ‘Make in India: Apple iPhone production in Bengaluru to commence soon’, so read a notification from PM Narendra Modi’s official app. Thus almost ‘confirming’ Cupertino giant Apple’s iPhone manufacturing plans in India.

Though the app mentions ‘International Business Times’ website as source of the news, the notification from PM Modi’s app to its users is the biggest confirmation so far about Apple setting up iPhone assembly plant in India.

Earlier this week, the government of the Karnataka in a statement had welcomed Apple’s proposal to begin initial manufacturing operations in Bengaluru, hinting that it is moving forward to the plans to assemble iPhones in India.

“Apple’s intentions to manufacture in Bengaluru will foster a cutting edge technology ecosystem and supply chain development in the state, which are critical for India to compete globally,” the state government had said in the statement.

Karnataka IT minister Priyank Kharge had told Reuters (on February 2) he believes that Apple will “tentatively begin manufacturing iPhones in the state by the end of April, or beginning of May.”

However, no agreement or memorandum of understanding is said to have has been finalised or signed between the state or the Union government.

Apple is said to have exclusively tied up Taiwan-based Original Equipment Maker (OEM) Wistron to assemble iPhones in India. The company is reported to make the iPhones out of its facility in the Bengaluru’s industrial hub of Peenya.

India will be the third country globally to assemble iPhones, an indication of how important it has become for one of the world’s most valued companies.

The buzz about Apple setting up assembly plant in India started in May 2016 during CEO Tim Cook’s first-ever India visit. PM Modi is said to have then asked Apple CEO to look at the possibility of making its devices in India.

During Cook’s visit, Apple had also announced setting up of a design and development accelerator in the city to grow the iOS developer community and also guide Indian developers to leverage Apple’s programming language Swift and build apps for Apple TV and Apple Watch.